Bowling alley with skill equalizing means



July 16. 96 J. R. WINKLEMAN 3,392,975

BQWLING ALLEY WITH SKILL EQUALIZING MEANS Filed Oct. 25, 1965 WWII u l'lfllj Ill H (7 Pi d \O l7 INVENTOR. Iaaeph 1?; Ws'nklemaw BY (AM Attorney United States Patent 3,392,975 BOWLING ALLEY WITH SKILL EQUALIZING MEANS Joseph R. Winkleman, 3980 Highland Drive, Mogadore, Ohio 44260 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,863 6 Claims. (Cl. 27351) This invention relates to a tenpin bowling game for amusement.

In the standard game of tenpin bowling, utilizing a smooth wooden runway, and a large hard rubber or synthetic resin ball to knock down the pins, a substantial segment of the bowling fraternity qualifying for league play may, because of consistently high scoring ability, find it diflicult to be accepted in fun games enjoyed by bowlers of lower average scoring ability. Accordingly, these high scorers may miss some of the enjoyment of bowling with groups of friends who have relatively low average scoring ability.

An object of this invention is to provide a device adapted for combination with a standard bowling lane for equalizing the scoring of bowlers within a wide range of scoring ability.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described for easy attachment to a standard bowling lane floor wthout damaging the same.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tenpin bowling alley embodying the features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of one of the baflies, on a reduced scale.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the numeral designates a tenpin bowling alley, including a smooth surfaced floor 11 of longitudinally extending jointed wood boards, defined between opposite gutters 12, 12; tenpins 13, 13 spotted in a triangular pattern at the forward end; a foul line 14 at the other end; and laterally spaced guide marks 15, 15 forwardly of the foul line. With this arrangement, expert bowlers can normally roll balls with respect to the guide marks 15, along a path P, to knock down a maximum number of pins 13 and average a score between 190 and 250 pins, or more. The paths of the balls rolled by the expert bowlers follow a somewhat definite curved path along one side of the alley to head pins one and three, as indicated in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 1, to result in strikes by which all of the pins are knocked down. The present invention contemplates provision of means on the alley surface which will require the expert to change his style of bowling and thereby reduce his scoring ability in a fun game.

To this end, a series of baflles 16, 16 in the form of long, narrow, strips are cemented or otherwise adhered to the floor 11, along the right side of the alley, in laterally staggered, longitudinally spaced relation, so that at least one strip most likely will be directly in the curved path of the ball, substantially as shown in FIGURE 1. The pattern of the strips may be substantially duplicated along the left side of the alley for left-handed bowlers. As an example, each strip 16 may be four feet long by two inches wide, by one-sixteenth inch thick, and having lano-convex cross-sectional shape, the convex upper side of which terminates in feathered edges along opposite side edges of the strip and at rounded ends 17, 17 of the strip, as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The strips may be of flexible elastic material, such as rubber, ad-

ice

hered to the floor 11 by means of a tacky adhesive which permits easy removal thereof from the floor without damaging the surface of the same. This facilitates rapid relocation of the strips to suit the particular conditions, such as with reference to relative differences in bowling skill of the players.

In use of the improved game apparatus shown in FIGURE 1, the usual rules of bowling are followed with respect to scoring. The scores of the more skillful bowlers, however, will be reduced because any tendency on their part to roll the balls along a preferred curvate path will result in lowering of the expected scoring. Less skillful bowlers, on the other hand, following straighter paths C and D to avoid over-riding the baffle strips 16, will in general tend to score somewhat on a par with the normally high scorers. Accordingly, in use of the improved game equipment bowlers having mixed scoring skills tend to have comparative scores which are generally equalized. In other Words, the present invention makes it possible for bowlers of varying skills to get together in fun games for mutual enjoyment, without adversely alfecting their normal playing abilities.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a tenpin bowling lane having a smooth playing surface, spots at one end for a tenpin set-up in triangular arrangement, and visible guides for pre-estimating various paths of rolling movement of a ball for requisite scoring results; at least one series of generally thin, flat baffles attached to said playing surface; the baflies of said series being predeterminately variously spaced from the longitudinal center-line of the lane so that at least one element will be at least partly in the path of rolling movement of a ball delivered by a player of a given class of above average bowlers; edge portions of the elements being of reduced thickness to minimize effectiveness of the elements for predetermining the course of a ball rolled into engagement therewith.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, said baffles being of plane-convex cross-section, with the convex side uppermost and converging to feathered edges.

3. The combination as in claim 2, the planar underside of said baffles being releasably attached to the playing surface by a coating of tacky, plastic adhesive.

4. The combination as in claim 3, said baflles being of rubber-like elastic material. 1

5. The combination as in claim 4, including one said series of baffles at opposite sides of the longitudinal center-line of the lane.

6. The combination as in claim 1, including one said series of baffles at opposite sides of the longitudinal center-line of the lane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,496 1/1915 Cutler 273-5l 1,181,763 5/1916 Hoffman 27338 2,130,123 9/ 1938 Ebert 273 2,248,596 7/ 1941 Wilsey 27338 X 2,900,189 8/1959 Howlett 273126 3,039,771 6/ 1962 Bablouzian 27 337 3,046,012 7/1962 Marx 27351 3,111,315 11/1963 Vermeulen 27351 X 3,312,469 4/ 1967 Clayton 27351 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A TENPIN BOWLING LANE HAVING A SMOOTH PLAYING SURFACE, SPOTS AT ONE END FOR A TENPIN SET-UP IN TRIANGULAR ARRANGEMENT, AND VISIBLE GUIDES FOR PRE-ESTIMATING VARIOUS PATHS OF ROLLING MOVEMENT OF A BALL FOR REQUISITE SCORING RESULTS; AT LEAST ONE SERIES OF GENERALLY THIN, FLAT ATTACHED TO SAID PLAYING SURFACE; THE BAFFLES OF SAID SERIES BEING PREDETERMINATELY VARIOUSLY SPACED FROM THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER-LINE OF THE LANE SO THAT AT LEAST ONE ELEMENT WILL BE AT LEAST PARTLY IN THE PATH OF ROLLING MOVEMENT OF A BALL DELIVERED BY A PLAYER OF A GIVEN CLASS OF ABOVE AVERAGE BOWLERS; EDGE PORTIONS OF THE ELEMENTS BEING OF REDUCED THICKNESS TO MINIMIZE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ELEMENTS FOR PREDETERMINING THE COURSE OF A BALL ROLLED INTO ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH. 